💧 Nuraghe of Santa Cristina near Pozzo Sacro di Santa Cristina, Paulilatino, Sardinia⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Ⓒ Peter Callas 2018. All Rights Reserved.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Around 200 meters from the sacred well on the other side of the church of Santa Cristina, there is a nuraghe consisting of a simple single circular tower about 6 m high from the 16th century BCE. The first floor is intact along with the tholos and the staircase to upper floor. (Currently there is no access to the interior because of the archaeological researches taking place.) It was almost certainly erected before the sacred well was built, indicating that this site was important even before the well and its sacred area became a cultic focus for Nuragic societies. Its significance continued after the well fell into disuse. The construction of the rural church of Santa Cristina in the Middle Ages supplanted the ancient nuragic cult, but continued the site’s function as a pilgrimage centre.

The nuraghe is set amongst an ancient olive grove along with three elongated huts. These also possibly date back to the Nuragic Age, though there is some suggestion that one of them may be Roman. If Nuragic, they are among the few surviving examples in Sardinia of intact Nuragic shelters used for livestock or storage. One of them is almost 14 m long. Its roof is made of stone slabs with massive walls with two entrances - one at one end and another on the side.

The area includes the remains of an extensive nuraghic village from various eras, largely underground, which is currently being excavated. It consisted of circular huts.